Towards domestication of the endemic Malagasy pepper tsiperifery (Piper sp.): Lessons learnt from domestication and cultivation history of other peppers

Abstract

Introduction – Since the international popularity of tsiperifery, the Malagasy wild pepper (Piper sp.) from Madagascar started to grow, traditional low-intensity harvesting has turned into uncontrolled systematic collection, which is environmentally and socio-economically unsustainable. Domestication could be key for sustainable exploitation of tsiperifery. Here we collated information from comparable domesticated Piper species to identify pathways to accelerate the domestication of tsiperifery. Materials and methods – We conducted a literature review, upon four steps: (1) identification of the already domesticated Piper species; (2) analysis of their domestication history and cultivation methods to highlight the common critical points for domestication; (3) comparison of this information with the limited ones available on tsiperifery; and (4) provision of preliminary recommendations on a possible domestication pathway for tsiperifery. Results and discussion – We identified and analyzed 22 domesticated Piper species. We found nine critical issues, the most important being: (i) genotype selection; (ii) procedure for vegetative propagation; (iii) reproduction of the microclimatic and edaphic conditions of the rainforest understory; (iv) choice of the best supports and cultivation system; (v) reduction of the delay before entry into production; and (vi) control of plant height. For each critical issue, we suggested preliminary recommendations. Conclusion – This paper provides baseline information towards the domestication of tsiperifery. Further on-field and molecular experiments are needed to confirm these findings and identify suitable management practices.